I'M SICK Reloaded
by tensai di-chan
Summary: Re-uploading of the original I'M SICK (RuHanaHanaRu)


DISCLAIMER: I don't own Slam Dunk. Takehiko Inoue does.  
  
I'M SICK!  
  
"Achoooo! Oh no! This ig nad happenid to me!! Sakuragi Hanamichi, the so-  
  
called tensai wailed as he delivers another ear-splitting sneeze. "Achoo!" The resident  
  
redhead of Shohoku High School is currently suffering from cold and high fever. This  
  
very inconvenient high fever is accompanied by a series of backaches and headaches. " I  
  
shouldn't have gone swimming with the gundam last time." Sakuragi wailed again as he  
  
stumbled back to bed with an aching body. "Well at least I would not have to go to  
  
school today." Hanamichi suddenly brightened up with the prospect. He decided to call  
  
Youhei to let him know he wasn't coming to school.  
  
After much incessant ringing at the other end of the line, Youhei Mito finally  
  
answered the phone.  
  
"Moshi moshi?"  
  
"Youhei, sniff id me."  
  
"Hana, is that you? What's with the voice?"  
  
"Yed, id me. I'm sniff not coming to sniff to school. I'm sick."  
  
"Oh okay. I'd tell your professors abut it."  
  
"Thanks, Youhei."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
Click.  
  
Our hero decided to pamper himself because of his illness. A day of watching TV and  
  
eating junk foods is rapidly becoming a genius idea. "At least, the tensai is going to have  
  
a much deserved rest today. Nyahahaha!!! sweat drop At a normal pace, Sakuragi has a  
  
very slow brain uptake. Today when he is sick, guess what? It became slower!! It did not  
  
occur to him that he wasn't going to play basketball at practice. Which means that he  
  
doesn't have a chance of upstaging a certain dark-haired kitsune he is willing to pulverize  
  
since time immemorial. All of this occurred to him just as he was switching the channel  
  
on ESPN, which is playing a current match between the Lakers and the Kings. This is  
  
what we call DUMB.  
  
"Aaaah!!" another ear-splitting noise was out of his mouth.  
  
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why do these things have to happen to me?!? I cannot let  
  
the stupid kitsune beat the tensai! I cannot accept this humiliation.  
  
Sakuragi is determined to practice in spite of his illness. Sadly, his body wont  
  
permits him to do so. As he was picking up his basketball, a fresh wave of headache and  
  
backache occurred to him, leaving him helpless. "Aaaargh!!" was all he could say.  
  
"Where is that baka??" Akagi yelled at the two frightened freshmen. "He should  
  
be here half an hour ago!!! I swear he would get his rewar for this unpunctuality!!  
  
"Ne, ne! Calm down, Akagi!" the ever supportive vice-captain Kogure advised  
  
the boiling captain.  
  
"Yeah sempai, calm down. You know Sakuragi's always late." The manageress  
  
Ayako countered.  
  
"Still, he has no right to be late!" Akagi bellowed which causes the whole team to  
  
tremble and cower with fear.  
  
Just then, Youhei came running up to them, momentarily out of breath.  
  
"Oi sempai, I forgot to tell you. Hana-chan can't make it to practice. He is sick  
  
and didn't got to school today." Youhei said.  
  
"Well there is your answer Akagi. Sakuragi-kun is sick." A note of relief could be  
  
heard in Kogure's voice.  
  
Practice was awfully quiet and peaceful that day, owing to the absence of a  
  
certain loudmouth. Many of the teammates do not want to admit to themselves but they  
  
surely are missing the self-proclaimed tensai. All of them are wishing for his recovery so  
  
he could rejoin the team much sooner. After what seemed an eternity.  
  
"Ok guys! Practice dismissed! We'll resume tomorrow at this time! Don't be  
  
late!" Akagi yelled.  
  
"Hey Rukawa, are you going to use the gym later today? If you want, I'll just  
  
leave the keys here so you can lock up for yourself."Ayako suggested to the ice king.  
  
"Not today sempai. I've got something to do." Rukawa mused.  
  
Ayako looked at him curiously but she seemed to accept his answer.  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
Rukawa quickly leaves the gym and proceeded to the bicycle rack. While unlocking his  
  
bicycle, he plans what to do next. "Hmm. What would he need?" After thinking it over,  
  
he concluded he would get the ingredients for his plan at the nearest grocery store.  
  
"Ding. Dong."  
  
"Ding. Dong."  
  
"Ding. Dong."  
  
"Alright. Alright!" tsk. Stupid. "I'm coming!!! Wait a minute!" Hanamichi grumbled as  
  
he was mustering his strength to walk towards the door.  
  
"You don't have to break my door." Sakuragi's words died on his lips as he opened the  
  
door and stared at the person behind it.  
  
The person just stared back at him.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"I asked you, what are you doing her?"  
  
Still there is no answer.  
  
"Teme! I asked you baka kitsune!! What are you doing here??"  
  
"Hn. Can I come in?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
The kitsune just rolled his eyes. He started to come inside the house.  
  
"Go back to bed, do'aho."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just. Go. Back. To. Bed." The kitsune said through gritted teeth.  
  
"I asked you why?"  
  
"Do I have to punch you in the face?"  
  
"Alright." The tensai said with much resignation after hearing the finality in Rukawa's  
  
voice.  
  
In the bedroom, covered with blankets laid our self-proclaimed tensai, awaiting the  
  
arrival of a certain kitsune.  
  
"Hn. Do'ahou, where is your VCR?" Rukawa said as he was entering the room with a  
  
tray laden with a bowl of chicken noodles, a tall glass of orange juice, medicine, and a  
  
plate of chocolate chip cookies.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Do'aho, I asked you where the VCR is."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"Hn. Just answer the question."  
  
"What are those you are carrying?"  
  
"Food."  
  
"For whom?"  
  
"You."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"."  
  
"I asked you why."  
  
"Don't ask anything. Where is the VCR, do' aho?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Stop asking me irrelevant questions. Where is the VCR?"  
  
"In there. Why are you bringing me food?"  
  
"Because you are sick."  
  
"That doesn't make sense at all."  
  
"Hn."  
  
Rukawa finally found the VCR and started feeding a tape into it. The TV  
  
suddenly sprung up to life and the movie "Lord of the Rings (the return of the king)  
  
started playing.  
  
"Oh! Wow! LOTR! That's my favorite movie series!" Hanamichi said gleefully. "How  
  
did you manage to get a copy of it? It's not even out yet?"  
  
"It's mine." Rukawa shrugged.  
  
"Do'aho, you have to eat."  
  
"What are you talking about? I've eaten plenty today!" the tensai said indignantly.  
  
Rukawa smirked. "I've seen the state of your kitchen. It's full of junk food  
  
wrappers. Eat the food on the tray."  
  
'You don't have to boss me around. I'm the tensai!"  
  
"Eat. The. Food."  
  
"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"  
  
"I don't have to answer that."  
  
"Aha! You're scared of losing the tensai on the team! Nyahahaha! Just admit you need  
  
the tensai!"  
  
"Okay. The team needs you."  
  
"Yappari!"  
  
"The team needs you. A bit."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Just eat the food or do I have to make you eat it?"  
  
Horrified at the thought of the kitsune feeding him, Hanamichi decided to restrain  
  
arguing.  
  
"Alright! Alright!"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Better!!"  
  
"Best."  
  
Hanamichi was feeling a bit drowsy after the movie and the food. He just wanted  
  
to fall asleep right then and there on the bed.  
  
"Oi kitsune. Just lock the door when you leave okay."  
  
'Okay." Rukawa said. "Ei, Hana?"  
  
"Hmm.."  
  
"I'll be back tomorrow, is that fine?"  
  
"Yare, yare..zzz.."  
  
"Ding. Dong."  
  
"Ding. Dong."  
  
"Ding. Dong."  
  
"Coming!" Hanamichi grumbled.  
  
"You again?"  
  
"I told you I'd be back."  
  
"Huh? You said that?"  
  
"Uhuh."  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"To bring you food."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So you'll have something to eat."  
  
"What did you bring? Let's see them!" Hanamichi exclaimed as he grabbed the basket  
  
from Rukawa's hands.  
  
"It's just food, aho."  
  
"Wow! Chocolates, ramen noodles, stewed beef and, grilled chicken! These are my  
  
favorite food!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"How come you know them?"  
  
"I just guess. By the way, I made them."  
  
"You're an awfully good psychic."  
  
"I can't visit you tomorrow. I have some previous engagement. But I'll send my butler to  
  
deliver some food."  
  
"Saa! I understand.Uhmm. Thanksforthevisitkitsune." Hanamichi grumbled fastly,  
  
clearly uncomfortable.  
  
Rukawa just nodded as he turned to walk away.  
  
Sure enough, the next day, the butler of the Rukawa family brought a package for  
  
Hanamichi.  
  
"These are form Master Ruakwa-sama. Please enjoy them." The butler elegantly bowed  
  
after he had presented the package.  
  
"Doumo Arigato?" Hanamichi said happily.  
  
Inside the package was a note that sent a warm brush against Sakuragi's heart.  
  
Do'ahou,  
  
Get well soon or I'll kill you.  
  
Kitsune  
  
Hanamichi couldn't help grinning after.  
  
On the next day, Rukawa decide to pay Hanamichi another visit. After half an hou  
  
of ringing the doorbell, the redhead didn't open the door. Realizing that the door wasn't  
  
lock, he just let himself in. Finding his way towards Hana's room, he found Hana's  
  
sleeping figure. Taking in the sight, his heart stopped. He looked so angelic and  
  
immaculate with a gentle breeze ruffling his hair. Rukawa brushed a lock of red hair that  
  
was covering his eyes. He then stoop over, his lips poised above the redhead's forehead.  
  
Without missing a beat, he kissed it.  
  
"I like you." he whispered. He turned around and walked towards the door. He  
  
permitted himself to look at Hanamichi for the last time.  
  
"Maybe sometime I can admit that to you when you're awake." He then quietly  
  
slipped away.  
  
Eyes widening in shock and bewilderment, Sakuragi didn't know what to say.  
  
After the realization began to sink in, a contented smile spread over his face.  
  
"Thanks, kitsune." Then he proceeded to sleep.  
  
Four days after he had missed school, a very energetic Sakuragi Hanamichi is finally out  
  
of sickness. He is particularly looking somewhat very excited about basketball practice  
  
that day, for he has something special to do.  
  
"Guys!!!! The tensai is back!!!! Nyahahaha!!! Did you miss me?"  
  
Groans and moans from everywhere can be heard. Nonetheless, everyone is happy that  
  
the tensai is finally back. A herd of "congratulations" and "we're happy for you"  
  
suddenly erupted, leaving a particular person a lot overjoyed.  
  
After practice, most of the members are getting ready to go home. But for  
  
Rukawa Kaede, his own practice has only begun. This means another hour of basketball  
  
practice before bed, Sweating and absolutely tired after the work out, he continue his way  
  
towards the locker room. A piece of note was attached to his locker door. "Hmm. This is  
  
odd." He snatched it and turned it over. After reading the note, he gasped and his mouth  
  
hanged open. Not knowing what to say, he quickly leaves the locker room and went to  
  
find the person who sent the message. He didn't have to search for long. Soon, he found  
  
the person he was looking for near his bicycle rack. This person, with his eyes shining  
  
with joy and smile covering his face was clearly waiting for someone.  
  
"Are you sure?" Rukawa asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you really, really sure?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you really, really, really sure?"  
  
"Baka kitsune, you can't even understand a simple yes."  
  
"Do'ahou." Rukawa murmured.  
  
"I know, for not realizing sooner."  
  
Rukawa moved closer to Sakuragi, his right hand framing Hana's cheek.  
  
"Can I kiss you?" he asked.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Are you not sure?" he asked with disappointment.  
  
"Well yeah! Because I'm gonna kiss you back."  
  
For the first time in Rukawa's life, a genuine smile lit up his face. It was a beautiful  
  
smile. He moved even closer and their lips met in a kiss.  
  
What does the note says?  
  
Kitsune,  
  
I just don't like you. I love you more. Meet me at your  
  
bike.  
  
Do'aho 


End file.
